Machine for making wood heels



June 23, 1936. HOWE 2,045,390

MACHINE FOR MAKING WOOD HEELS Filed July 12, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet l June 23, 1936- A. F. HOWE 2,045,390 MACHINE FOR MAKING woob HEELS Filed July 12, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 agg g Awe/7% June 23, 1936.

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MACHINE FOR MAKING WOOD HEELS Filed July 12, 1955 1'? Sheets-Sheet 6 June 23, 1936. A. F. HOWE 2,045,390

MACHINE FOR MAKING WOOD HEELS Filed July 12, 1955 17 Sheets-Sheet June 23, 1936. A. F. HOWE MACHINE FOR MAKING WOOD HEELS Filed July 12, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ill mil June 23, 1936..

A. F. HOWE MACHINEYFOR MAKING woon HEELS Filed July 12, 1955 17 She ts-Sheet 9 June 23, 1936. A. F. HOWE 2,045,390

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June 23, 1936. A. F. HOWE 2,045,390

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w ill-iii MACHINE FOR MAKING WOOD HEELS engmQ A. F. HOWE Filed July 12, 1935 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES 2.045.390 mom son MAKING woon HEELS Andrew F. Howe, University City, Mo., assignor to United Wood Heel Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application July 12, 1935, Serial No. 31,031

' 51 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for making wood heels.

Objects of the invention are to provide a machine for making wood heels comprising a continuously rotating support mounted on a vertical axis and having jacks mounted thereon for supporting the blanks from which the heels are made; to'provide a. series of cutters that operate on the blank during continuous movement of the blanks to form all of the outer walls of theheel; to provide means for controlling and operating the cutters so that they will form smooth surfaces on all of the outer walls of the heel; to provide novel operating mechanisms in the mais chine and to coordinate sald mechanisms in such a way that'the'heels are made with great rapidity and with a minimum amount of loss resulting from imperfect formation oi the heel surfaces;

and to provide improved means for mounting the v Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved machine for making wood heels.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the upper end of one of the improved jacks for holding the blanks.

30 Fig. 3 is a view showing, in solid lines, a side of one of the blanks and, in dotted lines, two shapes of heels that may be made by this machine.

Fig. 4; is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-4 of Fig. l.

broken away showing the rotary support or car-- riage having the jacks mounted thereon.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower portion of one of the jacks as seen from the line t@ of Fig. 5.

Fig. "I is a sectional view on the line l--'i of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line t-t of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the devices for operating 45 the jacks to turn the blanks to present the different portions thereof to the cutters during continuous movement of the jacks.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line fit-4t of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line iii-ii of Fig. 9.

Figs. 12 and 13 are enlarged sectional views of the upper end portion of one of the jacks, in gripping position in Fig. 12 and in released posi- 55 tion in Fig. 13.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation with parts v Fig. 14 is a. detail view of the mechanism for placing the blanks in the jacks.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of said mechanism. for placing the heelblanks in the Jacks.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged plan view of the blank 5 carrier whereby the blanks are moved to position to be engaged by the jacks.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged side elevation of the blank carrier that is shown in Fig. 16, with parts in section.

Fig. 18 is a detail view showing-the device for coordinating the operation otthe blank placing mechanism with the jacks.

Fig. 19 is a detail sectional view on the line i9-i9 oiFig. 16.

Figs. 20, 21, 22, 23 andfitare' enlarged sectional views on the respective corresponding sectional lines of Fig. 1.

I Figs. 25 and 26 are sectional-views on the correspondingly designated sectionlines of Fig. 24.

Fig. 27 is an elevation of a cam device for shifting one of the cutters as required to form the desired angular walls at the front of the heel.

Figs. 28 and 29 are elevations oi a is. block that cooperates with a pair of cam devices like that shown. in Fig. 27.

Figs. 30 and 31 are side elevations showing the mechanism for swinging one oi the cutters in coordinated relationship to the moving hl l: upon which the cutter operates.

Fig. 32 is a plan view of one of the frames co= operating with the swinging cutter.

Fig. 33 is an enlarged section view on the line 33-33 of Fig. l.

Fig.34 "shows in plan the lower end of a wood heel formed by this machine, the arrows indicating the continuous turning movement of the heel blank during continuous operation thereon of thecutter from one side of the breast wall of the heel to the opposite side of the breast wall.

Fig. 35 shows one of the solid unitary cutters.

Fig. 36 is an enlarged plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 33.

Fig. 37 is an enlarged outer side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 36. I

Fig. 38 is a view showing one of the pivotal supporting members for the cutter and motor iiiustrated in Fig. 36. I

Fig. 39 is an elevation of a portion of the carriage and cam structure supporting the tor and cutter for forming the outer walls of the heel.

Fig. 40 is an enlarged sectional view on the line dd-dll of Fig. 1.

Fig. 41 is a sectional view on the line di -M of Fig. 40. 55

Fig. 42 is a view showing a part of the mechanism .that is shown in Fig. 40, which mechanism cuts oil the lower end portion of the heel and discharges the heel from the jack.

Fig. 43 is a sectional view on the line 43-43 of Fig. 42.

Fig. 44 is a plan view with parts in section of the mechanisms shown in Figs. and 42.

.Fig. is a plan view showing a part of the mechanism that is shown in Fig. 44 in a different operated position. v

Fig. 46 is a sectional view on the line 48-46 of Fig. 42.

Fig. 47'is a plan view of another part of the mechanism that is shown in Fig. 44 in a different operated position.

Fig. 48 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 48-48 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 49 and are sectional views on the correspondingly designated section lines of Fig. 48.

Figs. 51 and 52 are plan views of modifications of the mechanism shown in Fig. 36.

Fig. 53 is a sectional view on the line 53-53 of Fig. 52.

Figs. 54 and are detail views of a diagrammatic nature showing the shifting movementsof the device controlling the cutter forming the outer walls of the heel.

Fig. 56 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 56-56 of Fig. 52.

Fig. 57 is a detail view showing features of the cutter shifter mechanism.

Fig. 58 is a plan view of a portion of the machine modified to provide two cutters for forming the outer wall of the heel. I

Fig. 59 is a plan view of the devices for operating the jacks to turn the blanks to present the different portions thereof to the two cutters for forming the outer wall of the heel.

Fig. is an end elevation of the heel blank after one of the cutters has operated thereon to form approximately one-half of the outer wall of the heel.

Fig. 61 is an end elevation of the completed heel after the outer wall has been formed by the two cutters shown in Fig. 58.

Fig. 62 is an enlarged sectional view showing the cutter that forms the final portion of the outer wall of the heel and the mounting therefor.

The machine comprises a rigid annular frame including two spaced annular concentric members I and 2 (Figs. 4, 22, 23 and 24). The outer member I is formed with a supporting rail 3 on its upper end and the inner member 2 is formed with a supporting rail 4 on its upper end. An annular groove 5 is formed in the'upper side of the rail 4. An axial member 6 is integrally connected with the member I by webs I and is formed with a reduced upper end portion 8. A circumferential shoulder 9 is provided at the connection of the parts 6 and 8.

An annular carriage ID has a flange ll seated on the rail 3 and a flange l2 engaging in the groove 5. The flange l2 engaging in the groove 5 constitutes means for guiding and preventing displacement of the carriage l0 when said carriage is rotated in a horizontal plane and about a vertical axis. The carriage I0 is formed with an annular rack I3 meshing with a pinion l4 attached to a shaft l5 rotated by a conventional speed reducer mechanism i6. An electric motor ll drives the speed reducer mechanism i6 by an appropriate driving connection l8 (Fig. 1). The outer periphery of the carriage I8 is formed with a dependent flange or apron l9 preventing wood movements.

particles or other foreign substances from passing between the carriage III and the rail 3. The inner periphery of the carriage It supports a dependent apron 28 for preventing foreign substances irom becoming lodged on the pinion I4 or in the rack H. An upwardly extended web 2| is formed integral or rigid with the carriage l0 and supports a series of vertical bearings 22 (Figs. 12 and 15) in each of which a sleeve 23 is supported for turning and vertical sliding The sleeve 23 in each bearing is supported by a spring 24 encircling the upper end of the sleeve in the bearing and having its lower end seating upon a shoulder 25 and its upper end engaging the under surface of a circumferential flange 26 integral with the sleeve (Figs. 12 and 13). An anti-friction device comprising a ball 21 is seated in the upper end of the sleeve 23 and is engaged by the under surface of a cam 28'rotatively mounted on an axle member 29 supported at' the side'of the bearing 22. The cam 28 is further guided and retained by a bearing construction 30 within which the cam is rotative. Four upwardly extended lugs 3 I 'are integral with each cam 28 andconstitute means for rotating the respective cams during rotation of the carriage i 0 in order to push the sleeve 23 downwardly in opposition to the spring 24, or to permit the spring .24 to raise the sleeve 23, depending upon the position of the cam with respect to the ball 21 (Figs. 12 and 13) Each sleeve 23 rigidly supports a circumferential rack 32 (Figs. 8 and 12) which, just before a blank is placed in the jack,

engages an arcuate rack 33 (Figs. 1 and 21), and thereby turns the sleeve 23 to proper position for a blank to be placed in the jack, one member 34 of which issupported by each sleeve 23. The jack members 34 are screwed into the sleeves 23 and it is, therefore, possible to place the jack members 34 in any required adjustment. The beveled lower ends of the jack members 34 have projecting teeth 35 to engage in the end of the blank.

The lower portion of each jack comprises a rod 36 (Figs. 22 and 33) rotatively supported in a vertical bearing 31 on the carriage I 0. A support 38 is connected with the upper end of the rod 36 by a pivot 39 and seats on a cam 40 which holds the support 38 in an inclined position. The cam 40 is mounted on a supporting nut 4|.

The rod 36 is rotative in the bearing in which it is mounted, but is incapable of longitudinal is to be formed is mounted on the inclined support 38 and its upper end is rigidly engaged by the jack member 34. Projections 43 on the support 38 cooperate with the teeth 35 to hold the blank from turning with respect to the jack elements during operation of the cutters. A crank arm 44 is rigidly attached to the lower end of each jack rod 36 and supports a pair of depending arms 45 and 45' of different lengths having thereon rollers 46 and 46', respectively, for operation against an annular series of cams. These cams comprise the cam 41 having on one end an outwardly inclined arm 48; a cam 49 separated from the cam 41 by an intervening space 56 and having an inwardly inclined arm 5! at said space 58; a cam 52 separated from the cam 49 by a space 53 and having an outwardly inclined arm 54 at said space 53; a cam 55 separated from the cam 52 by a space 56 and having an inwardly inclined arm 51 at said space 56;

a cam 58 separated from the cam 55 by a space 68;. and a cam 60 separated from the cam 88 by a space 6| and having an arcuate extension 82 separated from acam 63 by a space 64, said cam 63 having an inclined arm at said space 64. The cam 63 is separated from the cam 41 and the arm 48 by a space 66. The rollers 46 operate against these cams and pass through the spaces separating said cams, and the successive positions of the rollers against the cams are graphically illustrated in Fig. 9. The operation of the rollers against the cams turns the rod 86 and thereby turns the blank 42 to present different portions and surfaces of said blank to the different cutters, as required to form a finished wood heel.

The blanks 42 are placed in the jacks by a carrier device. The carrier device includes an arm 61 (Figs. 1 and 14) mounted on a pivot 68 and swung outwardly by a spring 69. The inner end of the arm 61 supports a pair of inwardly I extended brackets I8. A rod 'II is mounted for vertical sliding movements in each bracket I0 and is supported by a spring I2 (Fig. 17). The The lower ends of the rods II below the arm 61 are connected by a yoke 13 having pins I4 attached thereto and adapted to abut against the underside of the arm 61 and limit upward movement of the rods II by the springs I2. A plate I5 is supported by the lower end of each rod II, and said plates support the angular blank holders I6 by means of pin and slot construction 11 which permit the blank holders I6 to be relatively adjusted. A gage I8 is adjustably attached to the arm 61 by screw and slot arrangement 19, permitting the gage to be placed in selected ad-' justments, as required to gage blanks of different sizes. The blanks placed upon the holders 16 are against the inner end of the gage 19, as should be understood by reference to Fig. 16. The arm 61 is connected with an operating lever 80 by a link 8| which includes a turnbuckle device 82 for varying the length thereof. The lever 80 is mounted on a pivot 83 and extends inwardly to .position to be engaged by one of the jack rods 36 (Fig. 14) and operated thereby to swing the arm 61 inwardly and place the blank 42 upon the support 38 of the next adjacent jack. Since the carriage I0 is constantly rotating, the arm 61 swings with the jack upon which the blank is to be placed and holds the blank above the support 38 until the jack member 34 is forced downwardly into clamping engagement with the blank. During movement of the jack, one of the pins 3| engages an arm 84 and turns the cam 28 one-quarter of a revolution, and another of the pins 3i engages another arm 85 and turns the cam 28 an additional one-quarter of a revolution, making one-half of a revolution of the cam 28 and bringing the high point of said cam against the ball 21. This pushes the jack member 34 into firm clamping engagement with the upper end of the blank 42. The arm 61 has attached to the underside thereof an arm 86 (Figs. 1'7 and 18) which will strike against the rear side of the jack rod 36 and prevent the arm 61 from swinging beyond the jack upon which the blank is being placed. After the blank is placedon the jack, the jack that had engaged the lever passes beyond and releases said lever 88 (Fig. 14) and permits the spring 69 to swing the arm 61 outwardly to its unoperated or starting position.

A motor 81 is supported upon a bracket comprising an upper member 88 and a lower member 89 (Fig. 22). The bracket 89 is supported by the frame member I for vertical adjustments by means of a supporting screw 90, and the bracket member 88 is supported on the bracket 88 for inward and 'outwardadjustments by a screw 8|. A rotary cutter head 92 is attached to and rotated at high speed by the motor shaft 93 and functions to cut the arcuate wall 94 (1 18.34) at the end of the forward extension 96 of the heel, and also to remove a portion of the heel blank at the front of the heel preparatory for the formation of the breast wall of the heel. During thetime that the blank is being placed in the jack and during the time that the cutter 92 is operating on the heel blank, the jack rollers 48 operate against the inner surface of the cam 41.

The blank is next carried to and operated upon by a cutter 96 (Figs. 1 and 24) attached to the shaft 91 of a motor 98. The shaft 91 inclines upwardly and inwardly. The frame of the motor 98 is supported in a bracket 99 by clamp screws into the bracket 99, and thereby supports said bracket in any of its vertically adjusted positions topermit variation in the radius of curvature of the wall I03. The pivot I02 is attached to a carriage I08 mounted for sliding movements along a curved support I09 forming part of a frame H8. The frame member H8 is supported by the frame member I by means of brackets III (Figs. 30 and 31) and an adjustable supporting screw H2. The "frame of the motor 98 is con-. nected by a universal pivot II3 with a shaft II4 mounted for turning and longitudinal sliding movements in a block H5. The block H5 is supported for vertical sliding -movements in a frame II6 mounted on a frame III attached to the member I. The block H5 is supported, or partially supported, by a spring II8. When the shaft I I4 is turned from one position to another, it is moved outwardly, thereby varying the in clination of the motor 98 and the shaft 91, byv

opposite end pivoted to a lever I29 mounted on c a pivot I38 and having a fork I3I engaging a crank member I32 attached to a shaft I33 (Figs.

24, 30 and 31). The shaft I33 is rotatively supported by the frame members I and 2 and has on its inner end a gear I34 meshing with a gear I35 engaged and rotated by the rack I3. Thus, by the continuous rotation of the carriage I8, the carriage I08 is reciprocated along the curvedsupport I89 which has the radius of curvature of the carriage I0. moved inwardly and outwardly to vary the angle of inclination of the cutter head 96, which also swings about the pivot I02, as required to form the breast wall I36 of the heel and also the The shaft m is rocked and is 

